What is it?
Dry January is a campaign run by the charity Alcohol change UK, in which the only rule is no alcohol from when you wake up on New Year’s day until February 1st!
There’s no days off but if you decide to have a drink that’s totally up to you…but if you can get through the month alcohol free you’ll see bigger benefits! A dry January can be used to reset your relationship with alcohol and have you drinking more healthily all the time.
Alcohol change UK is a charity that is not anti-alcohol, but for alcohol change. Change in peoples attitudes towards drink as a necessity rather than a conscious choice, changes in the issues that lead to alcohol problems – like poverty, mental health issues and homelessness. Alcohol Change UK can support anyone facing or around those who are facing such issues without shame or stigma.
Why go dry for January?
Just this one month without alcohol has had really positive effects on those who have participated. Research shows of previous participants 86% saved money, 70% reported better sleep, 66% reported they had more energy and 65% had generally improved health. Alcohol Change UK want people to reset their relationship with alcohol breaking habitual drinking and attitudes. Alcohol is linked with more than 60 health conditions including high blood pressure, liver disease, depression and seven types of cancer, it only takes 3 weeks to break a habit so why not give it a go!
How to get involved…
People who sign up to the official Alcohol Change Uk’s campaign are shown to be more likely to stay dry for the whole month with all the support offered. Get access to a free app which can help track calories and units and also show how much you have saved! You can also receive regular support emails with loads of tips and tricks from the experts to make it feel easier. You can also choose whether to use your dry January to raise funds for charity to help Alcohol Change UK keep making a difference. You can find a resources pack on their website full of fantastic images (seen above and below) to help promote your cause and raise awareness!
Mehta G, Macdonald S, Cronberg A, et al (2018) Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study, BMJ Open 2018; 8:e020673
de Visser, RO, Robinson, E & Bond, R (2015) Voluntary temporary abstinence
from alcohol during “Dry January” and subsequent alcohol use, Health Psychology 35(3), Dec 2015
